Former class teacher Terri Fredericks guest writes for us this month on an essential and popular theme, its role in Waldorf education, and its role in her (and our) personal life.

"[O]ur minds and our hands are great gifts from the universe. Our whole body is composed as an instrument that houses our spirit and soul. It allows us to engage in the world and experience life. Each of us is a unique individual, and our individuality is a gift given to us so that we can give it back to the world. Our hearts should overflow with gratitude when we contemplate the grandeur of this gift. If we are grateful for our unique gifts, these gifts flow from us with ease and without resistance, and we share in procreation with others as well as the divine." To read the full essay, click here.

Looking for a nonsmoking person or persons to share a house on the corner of Cherry Hill Road and Rt. 518. 2 bedrooms, a common area, and share of the house, garage and attic. Washer and dryer onsite. Includes gas/electric, garbage pickup, WIFI and cable. Dogs okay, but not cats (due to allergies). For more info, call WSP parent Amy Krause at 609-433-8326 or e-mail amykrause@verizon.net.

Movement with Joy

WSP educational support teacher Joy Sayen will be providing a spectrum of offerings for both children and adults at her new "Movement with Joy" studio, located at 416 Route 518, near the crossroads of the Great Road and Route 518 in Blawenburg. Visit her website: www.movementwithjoy.com, or contact Joy Vrooman Sayen

Autumn has arrived, and with it the tradition of Michaelmas. Featuring St. George, the sword-wielding, mythical dragon slayer, this important school festival represents the annual resurgence of human strength, willpower, and striving to overcome our own inner dragons. Laziness, greed, doubt, and fear of the future may have lain asleep during the warm months of summer, and now it is time to wield our light-filled, clear consciousness as we go forth into the darkness of winter. And go forth we must.

Though the culminating grade school celebration was postponed from Friday to Monday because of rain, the whole school had been immersed in Michaelmas activity for days beforehand. Mrs. Shafer and all of our teachers put much time and care into planning the schedule. The grades came together to prepare and produce a variety of delicious soups and sauces for a very special fund-raiser to benefit a new Waldorf kindergarten in Colombia. There was also a donation drive for school supplies; this outpouring of good will for those less fortunate coincided with Waldorf One World (WOW) Day, which encouraged schools to promote Waldorf and other social initiatives around the globe through fundraising and community effort.

The grade school Michaelmas celebration also involved school-wide tests of strength and bravery, and, of course, the slaying of the dragon itself down on the lower field, complete with horse and rider (thank you, Fiona McGahren!). In the Early Childhood, children moved among many autumnal activities such as jarring bean soup mix, carding wool, watching Mrs. Sacalis on her spinning wheel, dyeing silks, and making jump ropes. It was a delight to see families new and old mingle together and share a picnic treat in the cool October sun.

Rudolf Steiner believed that the figure of Michael and his battle with the dragon held a central significance in our age: our human will-forces are most strongly needed now (see our several calls for volunteers below!). Waldorf educator L. Francis Edmunds wrote, "It is in the autumn, with nature on the wane, that the human year properly begins." With open houses, auctions, and a host of other events around the bend, that certainly rings true here in Princeton.

Sincerely,

Nancy Lemmo

School Administrator

SCHOOL EVENTS

WSP FyberCafé

Thursday, October 4, 8:30-10:00 a.m.

Under the Garden Tent

Our inaugural Repair Café focuses on the fiber arts! A Repair Café is a gathering of volunteers who are skilled at fixing things, and who offer to teach you how to repair your broken or torn beloved items that you can't bear to throw away. (Sorry, body parts are outside the scope of Repair Café; please take them to your health care professional).

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS: Share your skills in fiber arts, woodworking, or mechanics! Please contact Tineke (609-610-2018; tineke.thio@gmail.com). Volunteers are asked to bring their tools of the trade, as well as some scraps (felt, fabric, wood, nuts & bolts, etc.). We're hoping to organize a Repair Café once a month.

Back to School Night

Tuesday, October 9, 7:00-9:15 p.m.

Grade School Building

We request that all parents attend this very informative event. Meet with your children's teachers in the classroom and learn more about the highlights of this coming year. Mix and mingle with other parents, welcome our new families, and discover the various ways you can get involved here at WSP through volunteer work, committees, festivals, and more!

We're delighted WSP parent and Nomad Pizza Company co-owner Stalin Bedon is bringing back this community event for another year! A portion of the proceeds goes to the school.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Wednesday & Thursday, October 24 & 25

NO SCHOOL

Sign-ups are upstairs in the Golden House. Please note: If you plan on using childcare, you must sign up by October 12 on the Golden House landing or outside the Early Childhood classrooms. For details, please see your 9/29 Friday Update e-mail.

Hopefully everyone has received their two auction donation forms by now! They were handed out during class parent meetings and directly to many of you during school dismissal. If you need more, please stop by the table in the Golden House foyer or download here. You may also donate directly on the Bidding For Good website.

We have received some useful and unique donations already and are getting excited about the offerings that will be available to holiday shoppers beginning on Waldorf Wednesday! Many thanks to those families who have donated so far! Our fundraising target for this event is $15,000 to support professional development opportunities for our teachers.

Need help coming up with donation ideas? Consider the following:

Vacation home stays and/or frequent flyer miles have been very valuable at our auctions!

Food items are very popular. This can be in any conceivable form, from restaurant gift certificates to homemade desserts, to dinner at your house.

The vendors and merchants that you already frequent may be willing to donate. This is a great way for them to attract new customers!

Donate items that you already own or donate a service provided by you.

Donate a handmade item.

The success of this event depends on you, and we are very thankful for your efforts! Please get your donations in by Friday, November 2. Questions? E-mail Amy Krause at amykrause@verizon.net with questions.

Volunteers Needed!

Jamie Quirk is looking for parents who might be interested in helping out with our Hopewell Harvest Fair booth on Saturday, October 13, or a WSP community craft market on Saturday, December 8. Please contact Jamie at x112 or events@princentonwaldorf.org for more details.

Windy Hill School Store

Support the school by purchasing your arts, crafts, handwork, toys, woolens and skin care items through the school store. Would your child love art supplies for a birthday or holiday gift? How about a beautiful Halloween costume from Sarah's Silks? What would you like to knit or crochet this winter? We place orders regularly with the following suppliers and would like to include your pre-orders and requests.

If there are additional suppliers and items you would like to see sold in the school store, please let us know. Send requests, pre-orders, and suggestions to schoolstore@princetonwaldorf.org.

Scrip Notes

Scrip is open for business and ready to take your orders! Many families have already begun using gift cards to complete their shopping while also raising money for WSP. Now is a great time to take advantage of sales with retailers like LL Bean, Lands' End, and more as you prepare for cold, wet weather in the months ahead.

Marian Seliquini, scrip coordinator, is available most Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the community kitchen to take orders and answer questions. She can also be reached at any time here: scrip@princetonwaldorf.org. Look for a scrip information table at Back to School night October 9!

COMMUNITY EVENTS

"Back to the Future": Perspectives on Modern Education

with Jack Petrash

Saturday, October 6, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

River Valley Waldorf School

1395 Bridgeton Hill Road, Upper Black Eddy, PA

What Waldorf schools have been doing for over a half century - enlivening education as an inside-out experience of learning through discovery - is now being supported by cutting edge brain and education research. This lecture will discuss what it is that children need for success in the twenty-first century and will look at writers as varied as Daniel Pink, Thomas Friedman, and Malcolm Gladwell. Suggested donation is $10. Call610-982-5606 to register.

Hopewell Harvest Fair

Saturday, October 13, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Hopewell Elementary School, 35 Princeton Avenue

A wonderful event, bringing together residents, businesses, and community organizations for a day of old-fashioned fun and entertainment. Stop by WSP's booth and say hi! Money raised from the fair is donated to local groups who provide important services to the community. Since 1987 the fair has donated over $180,000 to more than 50 non-profits.

Princeton Common Ground Lecture (Free)

"Your Child's Brain: Building Strong Minds

from Preschool to College" with

Princeton University Neuroscientist Sam Wang, Ph.D.

Thursday, October 25, 7:30-9:00 p.m.

(Refreshments at 7:00 p.m.)

Princeton Montessori School, 487 Cherry Valley Road

The following morning, Friday, October 26 at 9:00 a.m., there will be an informal follow-up discussion at Bon Appetit, Princeton Shopping Center, Harrison Street North. All are welcome. Those who have missed the lecture are encouraged to attend as well!

Founded in 1998, Princeton Common Ground is a collaborative effort of the parent associations of 14 Princeton-area independent schools. Every school year, they sponsor a free lecture series featuring distinguished speakers addressing topics related to child development, parenting, and education. If there are any topics or speakers who you think might be interesting to you or our school's parent body for next year's lectures, please contact WSP Common Ground representative Judy Chin or Mary Langeron. They would love to hear your ideas.